False Teachers and False Teaching What Does the Bible Say?

False Teachersand

False Teaching

What Does the Bible Say?

Our Attitude Toward False Teaching

• The foundation of the Lord’s church is teaching (Mt. 28:18-20)

• Thus, false teaching attacks the very heart and core of the Lord’s church

• There are warnings and predictions of false teaching in the NT (Mt. 7:15; 24:4-5; 2 Cor. 11:13-15; 2 Pet. 2:1ff; 1 Jn. 4:1ff)

• The Christian is to be able to recognize false teaching (1 Jn. 4:1-6; Rev. 2:2)


• There is no substitute for knowing God’s word (2 Tim. 2:15ff)

• Christians are to have no fellowship with false teaching or its teachers (Rom. 16:17-18; Eph. 5:11-12; 2 Jn. 9-11)

• Christians are to expose and reprove false teaching (Gal. 2:5; 1 Tim. 1:3; 2 Tim. 2:18; Tit. 1:10-11; 3 Jn. 9-10; Jude 3; Rev. 2:6)


• Do not be a Christian that is deluded or deceived (Eph. 4:14; 5:6; 2 Thess. 2:3; 2 Tim. 3:13; 1 Jn. 3:7)

• There can be some truth mixed in with error; yet, the error will still destroy

• Sincerely believing a lie will still condemn (1 Kings 13:18ff; 2 Thess. 2:10-12)

• Ignorance and deception does not excuse us (Acts 3:17)

How To Identify False Teachers

• False teachers cannot be identified by…– Appearance (Mt. 7:15; 2 Cor. 11:13-15)– Speech (Rom. 16:17-18; Acts 24:1-9)– Numbers (2 Tim. 2:15-18; 2 Pet. 2:1-2)– Claims (Mt. 7:21-23)

• False teachers can be identified by…– Their audience (1 Jn. 4:5-6; 2 Tim. 4:3-4)– Their fruit (Mt. 7:17-18)– Their authority (Gal. 1:6-9; 2 Tim. 4:2)

The Issue At Hand• This issue among us over “Who is a false

teacher?” began in the late 1980’s when Homer Hailey’s false teaching on MDR was made public. Later, he published his views in, The Divorced and Remarried Who Would Come to God (Nevada Publications, 1991).

• Ed Harrell questioned the accuracy of labeling Hailey as a “false teacher” (“Homer Hailey: False Teacher? Christianity Magazine, Nov. 1988, pp. 326-329).

The Issue At Hand• Most brethren believe that false teaching

(error) must be exposed and denounced.• However, not all brethren believe the

person teaching the error must be called a “false teacher.”

• Some believe that a “false teacher” requires two things: (1) to teach that which is false; and (2) to do so with the intent to deceive.

• Thus, a “false teacher” is determined by what is in his heart, not solely upon what he teaches.

The Issue At Hand• The Issue Is Not…

– Do some false teachers have bad character and motives? Yes, the Bible teaches this!

• The Issue Is…– What makes one a false teacher? His teaching or

character, or both?– The Bible uses the word “false” for one’s words

without reference to one’s character; what one teaches rather than why one teaches it is the key.

– The Bible does not label one as “false” solely on the basis of one’s motives, intentions, or character.

Four Possibilities Concerning

One’s Teaching• First, one may teach the truth with

good motives (Phil. 1:17).• Second, one my teach the truth with

impure motives (Phil. 1:18).• Third, one may teach error with good

motives (Acts 18:24-28).• Fourth, one may teach error with

impure motives (Eph. 4:14).

Some Points to Consider• The Bible speaks of those who were

“false,” at times, without mentioning their character or motives. Where do we read that they were “false” because of their bad character?– “False prophets” (Mt. 7:15)– “False witness” (Mt. 15:19)– “False Christs” (Mt. 24:4-5,24)– “False apostles” (2 Cor. 11:4,13; Rev. 2:2)– “False brethren” (2 Cor. 11:26; Gal. 2:4;

Ac.15)– “False swearers” (1 Tim. 1:10)– “False prophets” (2 Pet. 2:1)

Some Points to Consider• Peter speaks of “false teachers” (2 Pet.

2:1)– First, their false doctrine is mentioned (v.1)– Then, immoral character is mentioned

(v.2ff)

• The Apostles would have been “false witnesses” by their denial of the resurrection alone (1 Cor. 15:15)

• John identified some “false prophets” by their denial of Jesus alone; what they spoke (1 Jn. 4:1-3,5)

Some Points to Consider

• Paul and angels would be accursed even without bad character (Gal. 1:6-9)

• We are told that for one to be a “false teacher,” it must be shown that he has a bad character.– There has been a shift from doctrine

influencing character, to character influencing doctrine.

– This is backwards. The fruit identifies the tree (Mt. 7:15-20). A man’s teaching defines his character (1 Tim. 6:3-5).


• Limiting “false teachers” to those of bad character makes few “false teachers.”– Men like Oral Roberts, Billy Graham, the Pope

and the local denominational preacher would not be a “false teacher”

• It causes brethren to receive rather than mark and avoid (Rom. 16:17; 2 Tim. 2:16-18)

• It leads brethren to become partakers of evil (2 Jn. 9-11; note the word “any” in v.10)


• It requires one to be a heart reader; to know the inward character and motive of every teacher (1 Cor. 2:11)

• Those with good character who teach what is false could never be “false teachers”

• If a brother teaches falsehood or error, can we call him a “teacher of falsehood,” “teacher of error,” “false preacher” or “false doctrine teacher”? Can we use “false teaching” but not “false teacher”? Is the result the same?

Some Questions to Answer

• If a brother teaches falsehood or error, can we call him a “teacher of falsehood,” “teacher of error,” “false preacher” or “false doctrine teacher”? Can we use “false teaching” but not “false teacher”? Is the result the same?


• If false character in necessary for one to be a “false teacher,” then why did Peter not use the words “false character” in 2 Peter 2:1?

• If a brother teaches what is false and is not a “false teacher,” is he a “true teacher”?


• What is accomplished by removing the label “false teacher” from the brother who teaches error, if his error will cause him and those who follow to be lost?

• Are Hymennaeus and Philetus “false teachers;” nothing is said of their bad character (2 Tim. 2:17-18)?

• How many of the character traits found in 2 Peter 2:1ff have to be applied before one is labeled a “false teacher”?

Answering Some Arguments

( from the book Who Is My Brother? by F. LaGard Smith )• “Perhaps most subtle and most

insidious of all is the bogus connection which is automatically made between false teaching and false teachers” (p. 197)– Teaching is connected to teachers. The

Holy Spirit chose “false teachers” instead of “false________” in order to focus on teaching


( from the book Who Is My Brother? by F. LaGard Smith )• “Equating false teaching with false

teachers would mean that everyone who has ever taught something that is doctrinally incorrect is a false teacher” (p. 197)– True. Apply this line of reasoning to

other labels such as “Adulterer.” Are there some who commit adultery but are not “adulterers”?


( from the book Who Is My Brother? by F. LaGard Smith )• “The label ‘false teacher’ … is laden

with baggage” (p. 197)– This is precisely why many brethren

want to stop using it. They don’t want their friends who are false teachers to be disfellowshipped.


( from the book Who Is My Brother? by F. LaGard Smith )• “Once a person has been wrongly

marked as a false teacher, it is almost impossible to remove the label. There is a permanent staining of one’s reputation. You might as well just call him a wife-beater or child-molester” (p. 198)– We are talking about one rightly marked as

a “false teacher” not wrongly marked– What is a man who beats his wife and

molests his children? Is he wrongly marked?


( from the book Who Is My Brother? by F. LaGard Smith )• “Ephesians 5:11 … Romans 16:17-18

… 2 John 9-11” (p. 199-200)– F. LaGard Smith dismisses Eph.5:11

saying it is talking about deeds not teaching; he dismisses Rom.16:17-18 saying it is talking about teaching and doing; he dismisses 2 Jn.9-11 saying it is talking about false teaching concerning the deity of Christ

– See Eph.5:9; Rom.16:18b; 2 Jn.4-5


( from the book Who Is My Brother? by F. LaGard Smith )• “As we shall soon see, ungodly

behavior is almost invariably associated with the false teacher…” (p. 199)– Is it “almost” or always associated? He

writes “almost” then makes the case for always.

• “As used in the New Testament the label ‘false prophet’ is virtually always tied to the teaching which destroys the very core of the personhood and mission of Jesus Christ” (p. 201)– Note the words “virtually always”


( from the book Who Is My Brother? by F. LaGard Smith )• “Being a ‘false teacher’ is not simply about

doctrine but about character as well” (p. 205)– As noted above, “false” is used at times in the

NT without reference to character

• “We are fallible men of faith, incomplete in our understanding, prone to error, and wrong about a number of things. But we are not false prophets, and we are not false teachers” (p. 206)– If this is the case, you should stop teaching (Jas.

3)


( from the book Who Is My Brother? by F. LaGard Smith )• “But Homer did make one big mistake. He

wrote one book too many. Or at least the wrong book. Or at least a book in which he might have been wrong. Or partially wrong. Or maybe not wrong at all … And for this one mistake, Homer was immediately castigated as a false prophet!” (p. 207)– F. LaGard Smith is purposely vague; he will not

be definitive about Homer Hailey. He raises doubt and questions but no definitive answers.


( from the book Who Is My Brother? by F. LaGard Smith )• “Any number of preachers, elders, and

other brothers and sisters would agree with his basic position, if perhaps not all of his arguments” (p. 208)– Numbers do not determine truth, God’s

word determines truth (Jn. 17:17)

• “No credit for years of faithful service” (p. 208)– God does not work on a credit system

where false teaching is traded for years of faithful service


( from the book Who Is My Brother? by F. LaGard Smith )• “…we simply have to get away from

the simplistic conclusion that anyone who teaches anything false (as we see it) is therefore a false teacher” (p. 209)– False teaching and false teachers are

determined so by God’s word, not “as we see it”


( from the book Who Is My Brother? by F. LaGard Smith )• F. LaGard described Hailey as “a godly

man” … “a spiritual giant” … “a towering man of God” … “a widely-respected teacher” … “a pillar of the church” ... “aged mentor” … “one of God’s finest” … “great servant” (pp. 206-208)– Keep in mind that this man so described

above, taught people a doctrine that leads them to adultery and eternal damnation (1 Cor. 6:9-10)

Why Have Some Taken This Approach Toward “False

Teachers”?• Applying the term “false teacher” to

someone with bad character only, allows brethren to fellowship certain preachers who teach a false doctrine and maintain friendships with them– “If, at some point the motives of one who

teaches that which is “false” becomes obvious, then they qualify for the label “false teacher;” but until then I feel inclined to avoid a label that only polarizes” (Matt Hennecke, Think, Vol.36, No.1)


Teachers”?• Applying the term “false teacher” to

someone with bad character only, allows brethren to separate in their mind false teaching (error) from a “false teacher” and keep from being offensive– “Sure, I can read his writings, and expose

any error revealed therein, but I see little value in calling him a “false teacher” and ratcheting up the vitriol (Matt Hennecke, Think, Vol. ? No. ?)


Teachers”?• Some argue that we must use the words

“false teacher” the way the Bible uses it.– True, we must never misuse Bible words!– However, it is not just a matter of using

Bible words correctly; it is a matter of fellowship. Removing the label of “false teacher” allows some brethren to continue their fellowship with the one teaching error.

– Remember, all the high morals and ideals that a false teacher may posses cannot make his false doctrine TRUTH!

False Teachers and False Teaching What Does the Bible Say?

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